The Story of the Red Rock
He was now retired and feeling well contented with his life
and as was his habit he stood under the Rowan Tree in his garden, seeing the
beautiful plump red berries which were hanging in profusion from the branches.
Then he would look down at the beautiful red rock that sat very comfortably
below the tree.
He and the rock had been together for most of his adult life
and as he reminisced about how he had met this red rock, he smiled, most people
would think he was crazy, but this stone had changed not only his life, but the
life of his wife and children, now all grown up.
Looking at it now, so warm looking and always that way to
his touch, was it his imagination? After all it was just a rock? Or was it? He still
didn’t think so.
Their relationship began at a very difficult time when he
was a young adult. He remembered clearly,
nothing seemed to be going as well as he wanted in his life. He had dreams and
aspirations about how he was going to succeed in whatever he chose to do, it
would be exciting, he would excel, people would admire him. Much to his
chagrin, no one seemed to understand him, in fact to him it seemed as if they
were dismissive of his talent. His
parents too, just couldn’t seem to get him.
Of course, they tried to counsel him and help him in their own way, but
they didn’t know him, not really, they just saw their child who needed them to
point the way. Life was just so very frustrating. It didn’t help at work for they just looked
at him as if he had two heads, their attitude was so negative.
Then it happened. His thoughts had grown darker, he could
feel his mind raging in the background and he knew he just had to go before he
exploded. Maybe he would find the right people who would understand him and
help him fulfil his dream somewhere else. He stomped out of the house after
another argument with his idiotic parents. Tomorrow he would leave without
saying goodbye and head for the city to make his fortune, it might mean living
rough for a while, but hey, he was smart and knew how to look after himself.
As he walked, he found himself in the woods near his home,
it wasn’t dark yet, there was still some warm sunshine as the sun started to
sink below the horizon. It was then he
saw the red stone, under a tree, it seemed to glow and radiate warmth. Surely
it must be a trick of the evening sunshine.
Next to the red stone was an old tree that had fallen over so he made
his way to it and as best he could he made himself comfortable sitting on the
rough bark and trunk of the dead tree.
The red rock still looked as if it were glowing, and he
reached down to touch it and he felt its solidity and its warmth.
It seemed to resonate a question mark to him, as if it were
asking what was on his mind, so he just let it all out. The rock sat there
listening to his every word, there was no judgement here, or belittling of his
dreams and aspirations. After he had finished with all that had been bothering
him, he slid gently off the old trunk and onto the ground with the tree trunk
now acting as a back rest. The rock watched it all, still glowing, still warm
and most of all still interested, as if it were waiting for more.
He was feeling quite comfortable now and somewhat lighter
after offloading his feelings to the rock.
Realising the rock was waiting for more from him, he started on his
relationship with his parents and co-workers, people who just didn’t get him,
and how they treated him as if he was a child.
The rock listened impassively and the amazing thing that
really surprised him, once everything that had been upsetting him and making
him frustrated and angry was out of his system, he started to feel a peace
inside that he’d never felt before, it was as if the rock understood him
completely and without judgement, and it seemed to speak to him. “Look at me,”
it said. “I sit here every day, all seasons. Animals, birds, insects have all
got to know me over the years, I don’t judge them, I am happy to be here for
them, and through them, my life as a rock has meaning and purpose, without them
I would be a lessor rock. I enjoy peace on my own and I enjoy peace when I have
my visitors. I am a constant in their lives, they always know I am here and in
doing so I fulfil the will of the universe, for it is in this service to others
that gives meaning to my life.
Shaking his head the young man thought he must have been
dreaming, but he feels different, he understands much more now, and he realises
that if you keep pushing life, life will push back. However, in enjoying life,
giving to life, then life will give back.
He returned home to his home and his parents who looked
anguished, and uncertain, not knowing his mood or what to expect from him.
Clearly, their lives were not happy, and he realized then that he was the cause
of it. Notwithstanding all of this he knew they loved him and now he knew how
powerful that love was for he had tested it to the limit and yet they were
still here for him.
Now unburdened because of his rock (for that is how he felt
about it), he smiled, his heart bursting with a love that has been banished for
so long. Now his parents looked bewildered for it had been such a long time
since their son had been anything but argumentative.
Sitting them down he explained what had happened, how he had
found his rock and how it had listened to him. He told them how he now felt so
different and that this rock would be the start of the solid foundation of his
new life, starting from today! Much to his surprise his parents started weeping
but they were not tears of sadness, they were tears of joy, and they told him
their prayers had been answered.
They then embraced him and asked if they could meet this
rock. And so it began, the red rock found a home in their garden. Over the
years there became a well-worn path leading to the rock, now surrounded by
beautiful flowers. When he married and set up his new home with his wife the
rock moved with him with his parent’s gratitude and blessings.
So now many years later, the red rock was still with him,
not only that, his wife and children loved the rock as he did. It had solved so
many problems for them in just being there, the rock they all leaned on when in
need. His children now had their own
families and their own version of the red rock to whom they could speak
freely. It was still the same with each
red rock, there was never any physical answer, it always came with the feeling
of non-judgemental understanding, along with a sense of deep peace and serenity
and then the answers sought were just there, in fact the feeling was that the
answer had always been there, but it could only be found when the person was
ready to receive it.
On reflection he thought that perhaps it could have been
anything that caught his attention that fateful day, however, it was the red
rock that had caught his eye and provided the much needed intervention that had
saved him, and he knew in his heart of hearts that the Universe had provided
exactly what he needed not just at that time, but something that would resonate
with him throughout his life and through the lives of those he loved and cared
for. The red rock had always been steadfast and true, the anchor that he needed
throughout the sudden storms that life occasionally threw at him.
There is a selection of my art on canvas
and other mediums available in my
I have two self-help stories available exclusively on
Amazon, either on the Kindle or paperback, and I do
hope that you find them interesting, thought-
provoking, and, most of all, enjoyable: -
The Rock Philosophy
This simply written short story is aimed at those who
seek to understand themselves, and through
understanding themselves comes a greater
understanding of life.
The Life of Jesus
(as witnessed by his brother)
Much has been written about Jesus, and no matter your
view on religion or Christianity, this person, whether he
was as described in the bible or not, has singularly
shaped, to a greater or lesser extent, the lives we lead
today through his wisdom. There are many versions of
the story, but there is only one truth, and is it not
better to know the truth?
You are most welcome to visit my self-help youtube
channel Advantage Subliminal
And you will find an excellent read in this story by my
son Colin, and it is here.
